“If she took out Briggs herself, and I believe she did,” he says, “then that could place her in Bethesda some six or seven hours ago.”

“Depending on how she did it,” I remind him. “If you’re talking about something like a laser gun fired from an unmanned aircraft? I’m assuming that can be done from the desk of someone sitting thousands of miles away.” Even as I say this I know where Benton is headed.

He and his colleagues will be going south to Maryland. But I won’t be going with them. They’d be wise not to ask.

“I’m supposing she might be in the D.C. area because of the photograph taken of us in the Palm,” Benton confirms what I suspect. “And if the ultimate goal of what we’re seeing is some coordinated attack using UMVs on a massive scale, then I can see her spending time in the Washington-Baltimore area,” and there can be no doubt where this is going.

Or more precisely, where it’s already gone. Over the next few hours, Benton will be on his way to D.C. or Baltimore. I’m supposed to be with him as FBI agents begin arriving at my headquarters, which conveniently will be missing its director and chief. Elisa Vandersteel’s autopsy and virtually everything else will be witnessed and micromanaged.

We’re about to be invaded. At least I’ll be prepared, thanks to Harold, and I’m hoping Anne is already at the office.

CHAPTER 36

SHE ANSWERS HER CELL phone on the first ring, and I can tell she’s expecting my call.

“I’m pulling into the parking lot now,” Anne’s voice is in my earpiece, and she doesn’t bother with hello.

“Any sign of visitors yet?” I ask.

“Not so far.”

There may be a lot of people in and out, and it doesn’t matter if we didn’t invite some of them, I tell her. It’s of no consequence if we don’t like them or completely understand who they are. They must be taken care of properly. So we need beverages, especially coffee, and most of all we need food.

“Not much is going to be open at this hour if you’re hoping for something decent to eat,” Anne’s easygoing voice says as I begin to make out John F. Kennedy Street through dense trees up ahead, and I don’t see any traffic.

“That’s why we have the locked freezer in the break room,” I begin to explain confidentially as if I’m telling her how to access Fort Knox. “There should be pizza I keep for emergencies. Meat, vegetarian and vegan. Gluten-free and regular.”

“Seriously?”

“What did you think was in there?”

“The last lawyer you didn’t like. I don’t know.”

“I’m still at the scene but heading back. Benton is dropping me off.” I keep my voice down.